John & Daphne Spurry

Brigadier John Spurry CBE FRCVS ran the Home of Rest for Horses at Speen Farm

In Memory of Brig. John Spurry CBE FRCVS by Barbara Tempest (click Tim & Barbara Tempest for more about Barbara)

In writing of John Spurry the term which immediately springs to mind is “a character larger than life”. There must be many amongst us who have a “John Spurry” story to relate. So many of his exploits have become things of legend – his marathon dancing efforts at the Turkey Supper (often aided and abetted by yet another village character, the loved and admired Mary Adams!); the never-to-be-forgotten auction, run with a great deal of laughter and hard-headed business acumen when a large sum of money was raised for the 81st Club, which had never been done before and has not been achieved since; the hilarious bingo sessions which in later years had become the accepted ending to the Horticultural Society’s annual social evening; shouting the odds from the plant stall run by the Horticultural Society on Village Day, et al.

All this apart, he was essentially a man who loved people and those close to him will recall his warm affection and willingly given help and support whatever the cause. The Villages of Lacey Green and Loosley Row owe him (and dear Daphne of course) a great debt of gratitude in the generous way they have always shared the amenities of their beautiful property – nothing was too much trouble for either of them and the many, many hours of hard work they put in for the benefit of so many cannot be counted.

I know many, many people will join with me in praying that the courage and fortitude displayed already by Daphne and her family will not desert them in the days to come.